More than 12,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the UK government to formally apologize to the Palestinians for the Balfour Declaration, a 1917 letter expressing support for the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel.

The Balfour Apology Campaign (BAC) said the British government must "openly apologize to the Palestinian people for issuing the Balfour Declaration," adding that "the colonial policy of Britain between 1917 and 1948 led to mass displacement of the Palestinian nation."

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the UK parliament will consider holding an official debate on the issue.